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HISTORY 



The City and County of 
Schenectady, N. Y. 



4 



ORIGINALLY PREPARED IN 1887 FOR USE IN 

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE CHY. 

NOW REVISED AND BROUGHT 

DOWN TO DATE 



SCHENECTADY, N. Y. 
1913 



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/ 1 



History of the City and County 
of Schenectady 

CHAPTER I. 
Geography and Early History. 

SCHENECTADY County was formed from Al- 
bany County, March 7, 1809. It is bounded 
by the following adjacent counties: on the north, 
by Montgomery and Saratoga; on the east, by 
Saratoga and Albany; on the south, by Albany and 
Schoharie; on the west, by Schoharie and Mont- 
gomery. In shape it is very irregular. A line across 
the county, in its widest part, would be drawn from 
the south-east corner of Niskayuna to a point on 
the Schoharie Creek, near the south-west corner of 
Duane^sburgh and would be about 28 miles long. 
The Mohawk River flows in a general south-easterly 
direction through the county and forms a part of 
itSr- north-eastern border. Besides this river, the 
principal streams are Schoharie Creek, Norman's 
Kill, and their tributaries. The city of Schenectady 
and the towns of Niskayuna, Rotterdam, Prince- 



town, and Duanesburgh are on the south side of 
the river, and Glenville is on the north side. 

The surface of the northern and western parts of 
the county is much broken by hills and valleys. 
Towereuna hill, in the extreme south-western corner 
of Glenville, rises abruptly from the river and is, 
perhaps, 300 feet in height. Other high hills are 
in the north-western part of Rotterdam, along the 
river, and are of about the same height. The 
highest land in the county is in the neighborhood 
of Mariaville, and is about 1,000 feet above the 
water in the Mohawk. The south-east part of the 
county is mostly level and sandy. The bottom- 
lands along the river are widest a short distance 
west of the city limits, where they are about three 
miles wide, varying thence westward from a few 
rods to a mile in width. The underlying rock 
through the county is, generally, Hudson shedes, 
while in some places birdseye limestone is found. 
The greater part of the surface is covered with a 
thick deposit of drift, consisting principally of clay 
in the west part, and sand in the east. The prin- 
cipal agricultural products of the county are hay, 
oats, rye, corn, and potatoes. Broom-corn was for 
many years very extensively cultivated, but of recent 
years it has declined in importance, owing to western 
competition. The exact location of the Union Col- 
lege dome, in the city of Schenectady, is in north 



latitude 42°, and west longitude (from Greenwich) 
73°. The name Schenectady is derived from 
Schau-naugh-ta-da, which in the language of the 
Iroquois signifies "over the pine plains," or "across 
the pine plains," and is said to have been used by 
them at first to designate Fort Orange (now Al- 
bany). The Dutch afterward applied it to the place 
where Schenectady now stands, as being over the 
plains from Albany. By the census of 1912, the 
population of Schenectady city was 80,000. 

The earliest European settlers of Schenectady 
County came from the Netherlands. They were 
descended from a noble race, their ancestors, even 
as far back as to the times of the Romans, having 
been distinguished for their brave spirit and love of 
liberty. During a large part of the middle ages, 
the Netherlands were divided into a number of 
feudal principalities, whose chieftains held a nominal 
allegiance to the German emperors or the kings of 
France. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, 
the Netherlands, then comprising what is now Hol- 
land and Belgium, had between two and three 
hundred walled cities, numerous towns and villages, 
and a population of three millions. The great cities 
grew in wealth and power, chiefly by manufactures 
and commerce. Having acquired chartered rights, 
they became in reality city republics, regulating 
their own local affairs, choosing their own magis- 



trates, and sending their representatives to the 
general assembly of the provinces. 

When their rights were invaded by the Emperor 
Charles V. and his successors on the throne of Spain, 
they made a brave resistance, and in 1 5 79 the 
northern portion of the country united in a per- 
manent confederation, known as 'The Seven United 
Provinces of the Netherlands." Thus was laid the 
foundation of the Dutch Republic. The heroic 
struggle for civil and religious liberty was continued 
by the Netherlanders for thirty years longer, until it 
resulted in the acknowledgment of their inde- 
pendence in 1609. 

In that memorable year, Henry Hudson, an 
English navigator, then in the service of the Dutch 
East India Company, discovered the river that is 
now called by his name. Sailing up this river for 
about 150 miles, he took possession of the country 
in the name of the States-General of Holland. To 
the territory which they had thus acquired the Dutch 
gave the name of New Netherlands. In 1613 they 
erected a few buildings on Manhattan Island, where 
New York city now stands. In 1614 they built a 
fort and storehouse on a little island just below 
Albany, and in 1623 they built Fort Orange on the 
site where the city of Albany now stands. 

The early history of Schenectady County is inter- 
woven with that of the native Indians found in this 



part of North America. These belonged to two 
great families, the Algonquin and the Iroquois. The 
latter were distinguished for their intelligence and 
warlike spirit. They formed a confederation of five 
tribes, the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, 
and Senecas, to which was added later, in 1714, the 
tribe of the Tuscaroras. In the contests waged by 
rival European nations for the possession of this 
country, the Iroquois were hostile to the French, and 
friendly to the Dutch and the English. In 1618, 
they made with the Dutch a treaty of peace, which 
was long and faithfully observed on both sides. 
The Dutch, always intent upon traffic, secured the 
rich fur trade. In exchange for furs the Indians 
received European trinkets, fire=water and fire- 
arms. 

Among the confederated Indian tribes, the Mo- 
hawks were the most powerful. Along the banks 
of the Mohawk River they had five fortified posts, 
called castles, one of them at the mouth of the river, 
another at Schenectady, and others farther west. 
They claimed ownership in the soil extending still 
more widely, northward to Canada, eastward to the 
Hudson, and southward to the Catskills. 

In 1 62 1 the Dutch West India Company was char- 
tered by the States-General of Holland, and in- 
vested with almost absolute authority over the New 
Netherlands. At first, as their only object wa« 



trade, they made no effort to acquire possession of 
land, but afterward they concluded to attempt a 
more permanent occupation. For the purpose of 
encouraging colonization, the company gave to any 
of its members who would buy land from the Indians 
and form a colony of fifty persons nearly absolute 
control of such land and the colonists. These 
owners were called patroons, and they acquired very 
extensive landed property. One of them, Killian 
Van Rensselaer, owned a tract of land containing 
over 700,000 acres, including all of the present 
county of Albany and the greater part of the coun- 
ties of Rensselaer and Columbia. This large estate 
was named Rensselaerwyck, and the name of 
Beaverwyck was applied to the district, or hamlet, 
which included Fort Orange. Van Rensselaer did 
not himself come over to this country, but intrusted 
the care of his colony to Arendt Van Curler (or 
Corlaer), who came to this country in 1630, and 
under whose able management the colony was 
greatly prospered. 

As Arendt Van Curler subsequently became the 
founder of Schenectady and left upon the men and 
institutions of his day the permanent impress of his 
character, it is proper here to describe his character 
and deeds. We find in him a most worthy illustra- 
tion of the sterling traits inherited from a noble 
ancestry. To a mind of great natural strength and 



energy he added a firm will, a cultivated intellect, 
high moral purpose, unyielding integrity, along with 
persuasive power and large practical knowledge. It 
was his to place himself on the side of right, and 
then to win others to that side. These qualities com- 
manded for him the respect and won the love of 
the civilized Europeans and the uncivilized Indian. 
So highly was he regarded by the Indian tribes that 
after his day they applied his name, Corlaer, as the 
official title of respect by which they addressed the 
governors of New York. In the lexicon of the 
Iroquois language it is stated that their word koi'a 
is derived from the name of the celebrated Arendt 
Van Corlaer, that it was applied as a title to the 
Dutch governors of Orange and New Amsterdam, 
afterward to the English governors of Albany and 
New York, and to all the governors of New England. 
The Governor-General of Canada is invested 
with this title of honor, and for Her Majesty, 
the late Queen of Great Britain, they were 
accustomed to exalt more highly her glory 
by adding the epithet kowa, that is, "the 
great," so that Queen Victoria were styled, in the 
languELge of the Iroquois, ^ora-kouoa, *'the great 
Corlaer." Van Curler was a statesman of broad 
and comprehensive views. It was largely owing to 
his influence, in fact more to him than to any other 
one man, that the friendship of the powerful Iroquois 



was secured for the Dutch and the English, and 
thus the country came under a Germanic rather than 
a Latin race and civilization. With all his other 
admirable qualities he united a spirit of humanity 
that often found exercise in relieving the captives 
whom the Indians had taken. It was on an errand 
of mercy, to save some prisoners from their cruel 
captors, that he made in September, 1 642, his first 
westward journey through the Mohawk valley. He 
was charmed with the country, and described it as 
"the fairest land the eyes of man ever rested upon." 

In 1 646, Killian Van Rensselaer died, leaving his 
colony in the hands of his son. Van Curler, then 
recently married, having obtained a farm in Rensse- 
laerwyck, settled down in private life. But he al- 
ways retained a liberal public spirit. Many of the 
settlers near Fort Orange were restive under the 
restrictions imposed upon them by the patroon. 
They wished to hold their lands, not by a feudal 
tenure, but in fee-simple, or absolute possession. 
This desire Van Curler shared with them. 

In June, 1661, he with fourteen others applied to 
Governor Stuyvesant for permission to purchase 
from the Indians the "Great Flat," a tract of land 
on the lower Mohawk, including the present site of 
Schenectady. Permission having been obtained, the 
land was bought in the following month. The 
description given in the deed was somewhat inde- 

10 



finite, but the area comprised was comparatively 
small. The right of trading with the Indians was 
not granted till 1 672, so that at first the settlers were 
restricted to agriculture. 

The land thus acquired was apportioned among 
the original proprietors by giving to each of them 
a house-lot in the village, a farm on the Great Flat 
or on the islands, a pasture-ground east of the vil- 
lage, and a garden-lot on the west, near the Binne 
Kill. The original village plat comprised only the 
area extending from the main Binne Kill on the west 
to Ferry street on the east, and from the Mohawk 
River on the north to the lowlands on the south. It 
was divided into four blocks, or squares, and these 
were subdivided into house-lots. Van Curler's lot 
was at the corner of Church and Union streets, the 
present site of Mohawk Club. The entire area of 
the village was inclosed and fortified with stockades, 
or palisades. The streets were laid out regular and 
at right angles. They were named: 

1 . Handelaers (Traders) street. The name was 
changed in I 690 to Lion street, and at the close of 
the Revolutionary War to Washington street (now 
Washington avenue). 

2. Front street, which still retains the name, and 
was so called because it was next to the river. 

3. Ferry street, which retains its name, and was 



11 



so called because at the foot of it was the landing 
place for boats. 

4. Church street, which still bears the same 
name, and was so called because the earliest church 
(Reformed Dutch) was built at its southern 
termination. 

5. Niskayuna street. This is now known as 
Union street. 

6. Albany street. After the massacre of 1 690, 
the name was changed to Martelaers (Martyrs) 
Ureet. It is now known as State street. 

The alluvial tract of arable land (Dutch, bouw- 
land) extending from the river and State street on 
the north to the sand bluff on the south, and from 
the line of Centre street (continued) on the east to 
the hills west of the first lock on the canal, com- 
prising an area of several hundred acres, was called 
the Great Flat (Groote Vlachte). When it first 
came into the possession of Europeans, it was mainly 
cleared land, and its fertile soil had for many years 
been cultivated by the native Mohawks. 

The influence of Van Curler was strongly felt, 
and always for good, not only in the settlement 
which he had formed, but far more widely. In 
1 664, when the New Netherlands came into the pos- 
session of the English, he w^as consulted with great 
deference in regard to the policy to be pursued with 
the Indians. Two years later, his humanity ap- 

12 



peared in rescuing from threatened starvation the 
French soldiers under Courcelles, who, starting from 
Montreal, made an unsuccessful expedition against 
the Mohawks. In 1667, while on a journey to 
Canada, in compliance with a friendly invitation 
from the French governor, Tracy, having embarked 
in a canoe to cross Lake Champlain, he was over- 
taken by a storm and drowned. He left no children. 
His widow continued to reside at Schenectady until 
her death, in 1675. 

Of the original settlers of Schenectady, all were 
natives of Holland except one, Alexander Lindsay 
Glen. He was a native of Scotland, but leaving 
that country as a refugee, he found an asylum in 
Holland, whence he emigrated to the New^ Nether- 
lands. In 1665, he received a patent for some land 
which he had purchased on the north side of the 
Mohawk, and on which he had erected a mansion 
of stone. Retaining a warm affection for his native 
country, he named his estate Scotia (Latin for Scot- 
land). From him, also, came the subsequent name 
of the township of Glenville. 

The area of land originally purchased by the 
settlers of Schenectady soon proved insufficient to 
meet the wants of the increasing population. In 
1672, they purchased additional lands from the In- 
dians and made application to the Governor and 
Council for a patent, but this was for some time 

13 



denied, for the alleged reason that permission had 
not been first obtained from the Governor to buy 
the land, and that full information of the premises 
was not given. Besides, some obstacles were inter- 
posed by the Mohawks themselves. Finally, in 
1 684, the settlers obtained from Governor Dongan 
the desired patent for the ancient township of 
Schenectady. This patent confirmed and secured 
to them a territory of 128 square miles, being 16 
miles in length by 8 in breadth, including the present 
area of Schenectady city and the towns of Rotter- 
dam and Glenville. 

Schenectady, as is shown above, was patented as 
a township with certain municipal rights in 1 684. 
It was chartered as a borough in 1 765, and incor- 
porated as a city March 26, 1 798. The extensive 
area comprised within the city limits was divided 
into four wards: the first including all the compact 
portion of the city between Union street and the 
Mohawk River; the second, that part south of 
Union street and including a small portion of the 
bouwland; the third, what is now the town of Rot- 
terdam; the fourth, what is now^ the town of Glen- 
ville. In course of time it became evident that one 
municipal government was not adopted to the 
wants of the increasing population, with their diverse 
interests, the inhabitants of the third and the fourth 
ward being engaged mainly in agriculture. Accord- 

14 



ingly, in compliance with the general petition of 
the people, the legislature, in 1820, passed an act 
by which the third ward was set off and became the 
town of Rotterdam, and the fourth ward was set off 
and became the town of Glenville. 

At various times in its early history, Schenectady 
suffered from the attacks of the French and the 
Indians. The most memorable of these attacks was 
in February, 1690. The causes which led to it 
were connected with the political changes in 
England, where the arbitrary king, James II., had 
been driven from the throne (November, 1688), 
and William and Mary had begun to reign (Feb- 
ruary, 1689). The great majority of the people 
on this side of the ocean favored the new order of 
things. With their support and in the name of the 
new sovereigns, the government of New York had 
been assumed by Jacob Leisler, a wealthy merchant 
and captain of the militia. The people of Schenec- 
tady were strongly Leislerian in their sympathies, 
and were bitterly opposed to those who had held 
office under King James. John Alexander Glen, 
the commander of the place and justice of the town- 
ship, then residing in Scotia, was not allowed even 
to enter the village; and, contrary to his advice that 
a strict guard should be maintained, they left the 
gates unguarded except by images of snow, which 
they had placed there as sentinels. Schenectady is 



said to have had at this time about 80 houses and 
400 inhabitants. The village was mainly west of 
Ferry street, and was protected by palisades. There 
were two gates, one at the north end of Church 
street, the other at the south end, opening out to 
the Albany road. There was, also, near what is 
now the corner of Washington and Front streets, a 
fort garrisoned by 24 men. After the destruction 
of this fort, another one was built on the spot where 
now is the junction of Front, Ferry and Green 
streets. In order to understand the circumstances 
connected with the attack on Schenectady, we must 
bear in mind that a portion of the Iroquois had been 
proselyted by Jesuit missionaries, who induced them 
to remove to Canada, where they settled at a place 
(a few miles above Montreal) called Caughnawaga, 
or Sault Saint Louis. It was under these circum- 
stances that an expedition was sent by the French 
from Canada, with the intention of striking a blow 
at Albany or Schenectady. Of the various accounts, 
English and French, the most reliable appears to 
be the one written by Mons. de Monseignat, 
Comptroller-General of the Marine in Canada. The 
following extract from his report includes the most 
important part of the account: 

"News arrived at Quebec of the success of the 
first party that had gone out against the English, 
and which had been organized at Montreal. It 

16 



might have consisted of 210 men, to-wits of 8Q 
Indians of the Sault and the mountain. I 6 Algon- 
luins and the remainder Frenchmen. It was com- 
manded by Lieutenants Le Moyne de Sainte Helene 
and Dailleboust de Mantet. 

"Having taken their departure from Montreal, 
after a march of five or six days, they called a 
council to determine the course they should take, 
and the point they considered themselves in a con- 
dition to attack. The Indians demanded of the 
French what was their intention. Messieurs de 
Sainte Helene and de Mantet replied that they 
started in the hope of attacking Orange, if possible, 
as it is the capital of New York and a place of 
considerable importance, though they had no orders 
to that effect, but generally to act according as they 
should judge on the spot of their chances of success, 
without running too much rick. This appeared to 
the Indians somewhat rash. They represented the 
difficulties and the weakness of the party for so 
desperate an undertaking. 

"As the Indians, who had perfect knowledge of 
the localities and more experience than the French, 
could not be brought to consent, it was determined 
to postpone coming to a conclusion until the party 
should arrive at the spot where the two paths sep- 
arate — the one leading to Orange and the other to 
Corlard [Schenectady], In the course of this 

17 



march, which occupied eight days, the Frenchmen 
judged proper to diverge toward Corlard, according 
to the advice of the Indians, and that road was 
taken without calling a new council. Nine days 
more elapsed before they arrived, having ex- 
perienced inconceivable difficulties, and having been 
obliged to wade up to their knees in water and to 
break the ice with their feet in order to find a solid 
footing. 

"At eleven of the clock at night, they came 
within sight of the town, resolved to defer the as- 
sault until two o'clock of the morning. But the 
excessive cold admitted of no further delay. The 
town of Corlard forms a sort of oblong with only 
two gates, one opposite where our party had halted, 
the other opening toward Orange, which is only six 
leagues distant. Messieurs de Sainte Helene and 
de Mantet were to enter at the firsts which was found 
wide open. Messieurs d' Iberville and de Montesson 
took the left with another detachment, in order to 
make themselves masters of that leading to Orange. 
But they could not discover it, and returned to join 
the remainder of the party. A profound silence 
was everywhere observed, until the two com- 
manders, who separated after having entered the 
town, for the purpose of encircling it, met at the 
other extremity. 



18 



"The signal of attack was given Indian fashion, 
and the entire force rushed on simultaneously. M. 
de Mantet placed himself at the head of one de- 
tachment and reached a small fort where the gar- 
rison was under arms. The gate was burst in after 
a good deal of diflficulty, the whole set on fire, and 
all who defended the place were slaughtered. The 
sack of the town began a moment before the attack 
on the fort. Few houses made any resistance. The 
massacre lasted two hours. The remainder of the 
night was spent in placing sentinels and in taking 
some rest. The house belonging to the minister 
[Rev. Peter Tassemaker] was ordered to be saved, 
so as to take him alive to obtain information from 
him; but as it was not known, it was not spared any 
more than the others. He was killed in it and his 
papers were burnt before he could be recognized. 

"At daybreak some men were sent to the 
dwelling of Mr. Coudre [John Alexander Glen], 
who was major of the place, and who lived at the 
other side of the river. He was not willing to sur- 
render, and put himself on the defensive with his 
servants and some Indians; but as it was resolved 
not to do him any harm, in consequence of the good 
treatment that the French had formerly experienced 
at his hands, M. d' Iberville and the Great Mohawk 
proceeded thither alone, promised him quarter for 
himself, his people and his property, whereupon he 

19 



laid down his arms on their assurance, entertained 
them in his fort, and returned with them to see the 
commandants in the town. 

'in order to occupy the Indians, who would 
otherwise have taken to drink and thus rendered 
themselves unable for defense, the houses had al- 
ready been set on fire. None were spared in the 
town but one belonging to Coudre, and that of a 
widow who had six children, whither M. de 
Montigny had been carried when wounded. All 
the rest were burnt. The lives of between fifty and 
sixty persons, old men, women and children, were 
spared, they having escaped the first fury of the 
attack; also some thirty Iroquois, in order to show 
them that it was the English, and not they, against 
whom the grudge was entertained." 

The French lost but two men at the attack on 
the town; but their return to Canada was attended 
with great hardships and the loss of 19 more men. 
Of the inhabitants of Schenectady, 60 were slain 
in the massacre, 27 were carried into captivity, one 
(or possibly more) escaped to Albany, and the 
remainder probably fled for refuge to their friends 
and neighbors who were settled along the river. 

The destruction of the village and the subsequent 
dangers from the French and Indians discouraged 
the settlers in attempting to rebuild their houses 
and cultivate the ground. Nevertheless, as it was 



important that this frontier post should be main- 
tained a garrison was sent by the Governor, and 
the place was somewhat restored. In the wars 
between France and England, the settlers of the 
Mohawk Valley suffered long and severely. In 
1 748, toward the close of what is called the Old 
French War, Schenectady met with the greatest loss 
that it had experienced at any one time since I 690. 
At a place called Beukendaal, in the present town 
of Glenville and three miles from Schenectady, 
about 40 persons were drawn into an ambuscade of 
French and Indians, and 26 of them were killed. 

Schenectady was in its early days largely indebted 
for its prosperity to transportation, especially by the 
Mohawk River. By the original grant, trade had 
been restricted; but in 1 727, by the decision of the 
highest court, the restrictions were removed, and 
from that time onward the commerce of the place 
rapidly increased. Schenectady being situated at 
the foot of navigation on the Mohawk, there was a 
portage of sixteen miles by way of the Albany and 
Schenectady turnpike between the Binne Kill and 
the Hudson River. Above Schenectady there were 
many rifts, or rapids, necessitating severe labor or 
portage. Up to the year I 740, the early setders 
used the largest-sized Indian bark canoe for trsms- 
porting merchandise; but about that time this was 
superseded by the small batteau, a wooden vessel, 

21 



sharp at both ends and generally manned by three 
men. In the history of Schoharie county it is stated 
that "these boats were forced over the rapids in 
the river with poles and ropes, the latter drawn by 
men on the shore. Such was the mode of transport- 
ing merchandise and Indian commodities to and 
from the west for a period of fifty years and until 
after the Revolution. A carrying-place in use at 
an early day was at Fort Stanwix [the present site 
of Rome], from the boatable waters of the Mohawk 
to Wood Creek; thence passing into Oneida Lake, 
the batteau proceeded into the Oswego River, and 
thence to Oswego on Lake Ontario, and to Niagara 
and elsewhere on that lake or the St. Lawrence, as 
they pleased to venture." After being carried 
around the Falls of Niagara to Chippewa, they went 
uninterruptedly on to Detroit, their usual limit, and 
sometimes even to Mackinaw. 



CHAPTER II. 
Later History of Schenectady. 

THE later history of Schenectady is here con- 
sidered as beginning with the Revolutionary 
War; and for convenience we may continue the 
narrative of commercial progress. After the Re- 
volutionary War, the increasing emigration to the 
western part of the country required increased 
facilities for transportation and communication. 
Gen. Philip Schuyler, who was then Surveyor- 
General of the State of New York, succeeded in 
forming a corporate body known as the Inland 
Navigation Company, of which body many citizens 
of Schenectady and its vicinity were members. This 
company constructed a short canal at Wood Creek, 
uniting it with the navigable waters of the Mohawk, 
and also built a short canal and several locks at 
Little Falls, in both cases avoiding the necessity of 
portage or of unloading the vessels. 

These works having been completed in I 795, 
additional w^harves, docks and storehouses were 
built along the Main Binne Kill at Schenectady, and 

23 



the commerce of the place was rapidly increased. 
To meet the wants of the growing commerce, an 
improved style of boat, called the Durham, was 
brought into use. This boat was, in shape, some- 
what like the modern canal-boat, with broad, flat 
bottom, straight sides, and a mast with square sails. 
The carrying capacity of the Durham boat was from 
eight to twenty tons. Most of these boats used 
on the Mohav*rk and further west were built at 
Schenectady. 

In 1819, a destructive fire swept away the best 
business portion of Schenectady, including the ex- 
tensive wharves and freighting establishments, along 
the Main Binne Kill, together with many valuable 
dwellings and stores on Washington street (now 
avenue), and on Union, Church, State, and Front 
streets. This portion of the city never regained its 
commercial importance, as the construction of the 
Erie canal (begun in 1817 and completed in 1825) 
and of railroads centering at another point, caused 
the transfer of business to its present location, while 
the territory that had suffered from the conflagration 
was rebuilt with private residences. In 1 808 the 
original Mohawk bridge was erected at the foot of 
V/ashington street. It was designed by the cele- 
brated bridge architect, Theodore Burr, and was 
considered a masterpiece of skill. Its original 
symmetry and beauty were afterward greatly mar- 

24 



red by the addition of several piers and ungraceful 
coverings. In 1874, it was replaced by a new 
bridge, built on the same piers. 

Railroad communication forms a most important 
feature in the commerce of Schenectady. The first 
two railroads constructed in the State centered here, 
the Mohawk and Hudson in 1831, and the Schenec- 
tady and Saratoga in 1832; and the first road of 
any length, or that belongs to the vast system now 
connecting the sea-coast and the great west, was 
built from Schenectady to Utica in 1836. A bill 
having been passed by the legislature in 1826 in- 
corporating the Mohawk and Hudson River Rail- 
road Company, the road was completed from 
Albany to Schenectady in 1831. In the following 
year a railroad was completed from Schenectady to 
Saratoga. The Utica and Schenectady railroad was 
completed in 1836, and the Schenectady and Troy 
branch in 1842. In 1853 the different railroads 
between Albany and Buffalo were consolidated, thus 
forming the New York Central railroad; and in 
1669 this w^as consolidated with the Hudson River 
railroad. In 1872, the Schenectady and Duanes- 
burgh railroad was completed, running from Sche- 
nectady to Quaker Street, and connecting at that 
place with the Albany and Susquehanna railroad. 
In 1883. the New York, West Shore and Buffalo 



25 



railroad, now the West Shore, was built. It passes 
through the western part of the county and has a 
station at South Schenectady, about three miles from 
the city. The Boston, Hoosac Tunnel & Western 
railroad, now the Boston & Maine, was built in 
1 884. It passes through the town of Glenville, 
crossing the Mohawk River about six miles west of 
Schenectady. It forms a junction with the West 
Shore railroad in the town of Rotterdam, about eight 
miles west of the city, and has a station in Scotia 
across the river from the city of Schenectady. 

The city of Schenectady is now the center of a 
network of electric railways — reaching Lake George 
to the north, Gloversville to the west, and Albany 
and Troy to the east. 

The superior facilities thus afforded by the dif- 
ferent railroads and the canal have given the city 
of Schenectady great advantages as a distributing 
center, and have greatly promoted the growth of 
manufacturing interests. The Schenectady Loco- 
motive Works, established in 1848, now a branch 
of the American Locomotive Co., manufactures all 
kinds of locomotives and employs about 8,000 men. 
The Westinghouse Company manufacture exten- 
sively agricultural machines. For many years the 
construction of steam boilers and engines was a 
prominent industry. 

Schenectady, as shown above, has borne an 

26 



honorable record for stability and progress in the 
various arts of peace. Her record is no less hon- 
orable in the achievements of war. In 1 755, at 
the battle of Fort George, between the English and 
the French, the English commander, Sir William 
Johnson, says in his official report: "The Schenec- 
tady officers and men fought like lions." During 
the Revolutionary War, the soldiers from Schenec- 
tady were conspicuous for their courage and 
patriotism, shown on many a hard-fought field, as 
at Oriskany, Saratoga, Monmouth, and Yorktown. 
In the war of 1812, although but one regular com- 
pany was organized here, many from this vicinity 
enlisted in regiments belonging to other localities. 
In the great Civil War, Schenectady County 
answered promptly to the call for volunteers, and 
no other county in the State furnished more men in 
proportion to its population to defend the Union. 



27 



CHAPTER III. 
The Township of Niskayuna. 

NISKAYUNA, the smallest township in Schenec- 
tady County, was first settled by white men, 
about the year 1 664. It is said to have derived 
its name from Co-nis-ti-gio-ne, the Indian term 
signifying "extensive corn-flats." A tribe of Indians 
bearing that name occupied this region when it was 
first settled by the whites. The present township 
was erected from Watervliet, Albany County, 
March 7, 1809, and had at that time a population 
of about 700. 

The shape of Niskayxma is that of an irregular 
oblong. A line drawn parallel with the river, from 
the north-east to the south-east comer of the town- 
ship, would show its greatest length and be a little 
less than 7 miles long. Niskayuna is bounded on 
the north by the town of Glenville and Saratoga 
County, on the east by Saratoga County, on the 
south by Albany County, and on the west by the 
town of Rotterdam and the city of Schenectady. 
The surface is mostly upland. A wide strip of 



tertile flat land skirts the river, and from this steep 
bluffs rise abruptly. For a short distance from the 
river valley, the soil is of hard, stiff clay, and some- 
what swampy; further west and south, the soil is 
a rich, sandy loam and is highly productive. 

The Mohawk River incloses the town on the north 
and east and, flowing the whole distance over a 
shallow and rocky bed, is celebrated for its beau- 
tiful scenery and excellence as a fishing-ground. 
The Lisha's Kill is a small stream which flows into 
the Mohawk in the south-eastern part of the town. 
Groot's Creek and Cowhorn Creek are also small 
streams flowing into the Mohawk at Schenectady. 

Niskayuna is chiefly an agricultural region and 
produces broom-corn, grain, potatoes, and fruits in 
abundance. Extensive quarries of bluestone have 
been opened in the northern and eastern parts of 
the town, and the building stone of excellent quality 
finds a ready market in the adjacent cities. With 
the Erie Canal passing along its northern part, and 
the Troy branch, N. Y. C. & H. R. R., traversing 
the entire length of the town, together with excel- 
lent roads and turnpikes, the products of Niskayuna 
find an easy outlet. 

Aqueduct, on the line of the Troy branch, N. Y. 
C. & H. R. R., is a small village. Niskayuna, a 
pleasant village in the south-east corner of the town, 
and on the Troy and Schenectady road. 

29 



CHAPTER IV. 
The Township of Rotterdam. 

THE township of Rotterdam was first settled by 
white men about the year 1661, and was 
named from the city of Rotterdam in Holland. The 
fertile river bottom-lands extending five miles west- 
ward from Schenectady were called by the early 
settlers the Bouwland, meaning good or fertile land, 
and all the land lying west of this tract was known 
as Woestina, or Wilderness. Rotterdam was 
formed from Schenectady, April 14, 1820, and 
was formerly the third ward of the city. Additional 
lands were taken from the city in 1 853, and in 1 865 
a portion of the town was re-ceded to the city. 
Population in 1880, 2,326. 

The shape of the town of Rotterdam is very 
irregular. A line drawn in a south-easterly direction 
from its extreme north-western point and extending 
to the Albany County line would be about 1 3 miles 
long and would pass near Pattersonville, Rotterdam 
Junction, and Mohawkville. The mean width of 
the town is about 5 miles. Rotterdam is bounded 

30 



on the north by Glenville; on the east, by Glenville, 
the city of Schenectady, and Niskayuna; on the 
south, by Albany County and Princetown; on the 
west, by Princetown. 

With the exception of the flats along the river, 
the surface is hilly and broken in the north and west, 
and level and sandy in the south and east. The 
sand plains of the south and east are considerably 
higher than the lands along the river. The highest 
hills are in the north and are probably about 300 
feet above the water in the river. The soil of the 
river-bottoms is a deep alluvium; that of the hilly 
regions, clay and gravel, underlaid by slate and 
bluestone. The sandy region is not naturally pro- 
ductive, but must be enriched to secure good crops. 

The streams of Rotterdam are numerous and im- 
portant. The Mohawk River borders the town on 
its northern and eastern boundary, and the Nor- 
man's Kill flows for a short distance through the 
south-western part. The Sand-sea Kill is a rapid 
stream and flows into the Mohawk at Pattersonville. 
The Platte Kill, flowing into the river 5 miles west 
of the city, is justly celebrated for its many water- 
falls and the beauty of its scenery. The Poetens 
Kill and the Sweet Hill and Brandywine creeks are 
mill streams, which flow into the Mohawk at or near 
Schenectady. 



31 



Rotterdam possesses abundant commercial ad- 
vantages. The Erie Canal traverses the entire length 
of the town on the north-east; the New York Cen- 
tral railroad crosses the south-east; the West Shore 
railroad crosses it centrally from north to south; 
the Delaware & Hudson railroad crosses from east 
to west; and the Boston & Maine railroad has its 
western terminus in the north. 

Pattersonville, in the north-western part of Rot- 
terdam, is a pleasant, growing village, and an 
important shipping point for farm produce by way 
of the Erie Canal and the West Shore railroad. 
Population, 1 00. Rotterdam Junction, the terminus 
of the Boston & Maine railroad, and the point where 
the latter joins the West Shore railroad, is about a 
mile and a half east of Pattersonville, and has about 
200 inhabitants. South Schenectady, situated at 
the junction of the Delaware & Hudson and the 
West Shore railroads, is an important shipping point 
for farm produce. 



32 



CHAPTER V. 
The Township of Glenville. 

THE township of Glenville was first settled by 
white men in the year 1 665, when the region 
lying in the vicinity of what is now known as the 
village of Scotia was granted to a Scotchman, 
named Alexander Lindsay Glen; and in his honor 
the town was also named. It is the only town in 
the county north of the Mohawk River. It was 
formed from the fourth ward of the city April 1 4, 
1820. Population, in 1880, 2,746. 

The shape of the town of Glenville is that of a 
very irregular oblong. Its greatest length is from 
its north-western to its south-eastern corner, and 
extends a distance of about MYz miles. It has a 
mean width of about 5 miles. Glenville is bounded 
on the north by Saratoga County; on the east by 
Saratoga County and Niskayuna; on the south by 
Niskayuna, the city of Schenectady, and Rotterdam, 
and on the west by Rotterdam and Montgomery 
County. 

33 



Glenville, like Rotterdam, is broken and hilly in 
the north and west, and nearly level in the south 
and east. The high hills of the west rise abruptly 
from the river to the height of about 300 feet; from 
the top of this range of hills the land slopes toward 
the north and east, forming a long fertile valley in 
the north, and terminating in a long slope of sandy 
loam in the east. At intervals the river is bordered 
by broad stretches of alluvial flat lands. The soil 
of the uplands is mostly of clay, underlaid with slate 
and bluestone. Birdseye limestone is found in the 
extreme northern part. 

Tlie southern and western parts of Glenville are 
bordered by the Mohawk River. The Chaugh- 
tanoonda Creek is a rapid stream, which flows into 
the Mohawk at Hoffman's Ferry. The Crabb's Kill 
is an important mill-stream in the northern part of 
the town. The Aelplatts Creek, the largest stream 
in the town, rises in the north-eastern part and flows 
into the river in the south-east. 

For many years the manufacture of brooms 
formed an important industry in the town of Glen- 
ville, especially at Scotia and along the river; but 
on account of western competition the business has 
greatly declined in value. There are two grist-mills 
in Glenville, one situated on Crabb's Kill, and the 
other in the eastern part, on the Aelplatts Creek. 
Glenville produces in abundance all kinds of grain, 

34 



hay, straw, broom-corn, potatoes, and fruit. Much 
of the land of the southern part is devoted to the 
raising of garden vegetables for the city market. 
Three lines of railroad cross the town: the New 
York Central through the south-western part; the 
Delaware & Hudson through the eastern part, and 
the Boston & Maine through the southern part. 
Excellent roads and turnpikes also traverse the town 
in all directions. 

Scotia, in the southern part, is a pleasant village 
directly across the river from Schenectady, and hsis 
about 3,500 inhabitants. High Mills, in the north- 
east, has flouring-mills, and about 74 inhabitants. 
Glenville, in the north-west, is beautifully located in 
a fertile valley, and has about 200 inhabitants. 
Hoffman's Ferry, so named from a river ferry at this 
point, is a station on the New York Central railroad. 



95 



CHAPTER VI. 
The Township of Princetown. 

A PORTION of the land comprising what is now 
known as the township of Princetown was 
originally ceded to the Reformed Dutch Church, of 
Schenectady, and the remainder belonged by right 
of patent to George Ingoldsby and Aaron Bradt, in 
the year 1 737. It is not positively known just when 
the first settlement was made by white men, but the 
probable date is about 1 700. Later, William Corry 
became proprietor and founded a settlement known 
as Corry's Bush, near the center of the town. Noth- 
ing remains of this settlement but the ruins of an old 
stone church and the mossy tombstones of the 
adjacent grave-yard. The present township of 
Princetown was formed March 20, 1 798, and was 
named in honor of James Prince, a member of 
assembly from Albany County and residing at 
Schenectady. Population, in 1880, 826. 

In shape, Princetown is long and narrow, its 
greatest length from north-west to south-east being 

^ 
36 



about 10!/2 miles, and its greatest width about 3J4 
miles. Princetown is bounded on the north by 
Montgomery County and Rotterdam, on the east 
by Rotterdam, on the south by Albany County and 
Duanesburgh, on the west by Duanesburgh. The 
surface consists of hilly upland, broken in many 
places by fertile valleys. The general slope of the 
ground is toward the south-east. The soil is mostly 
of clay, generally fertile, and is underlaid with slate 
and bluestone. Owing to its peculiar shape, Prince- 
town has no streams of very great length. It touches 
the Mohawk at its north-easterly corner, and the 
Sand-sea Kill finds a source in the north-west. The 
Platte Kill rises near the center, and the Norman's 
Kill crosses the town in the south at its widest part. 
There are, also, numerous small, rapid streams. 

The inhabitants of Princetown are chiefly engaged 
in agricultural pursuits; hay and grain are raised in 
large quantities; much attention is also given to 
dairy farming, and there are two cheese factories in 
the town. With the exception of the Delaware & 
Hudson railroad, passing through the southern part 
of the town, Princetown has no special commercial 
advantages but the excellent highways which 
traverse its territory in every direction. Rynex 
Corners, in the central part, is a small hamlet and 
contains a cheese factory. Kelly's is a post-office 



37 



and shipping point on the Delaware & Hudson rail- 
road, and contains a cheese factory. Gifford's, in 
the southern part, is a small village and has a post- 
office. 



CHAPTER VII. 
The Township of Duanesburgh. 

ACCOUNTS of the early settlement of what is 
now known as the township of Duanesburgh 
are very meagre. Although much land had been 
previousuly taken up, it was generally in large lots, 
and actual settlements were not made until about 
the year 1 765, when Hon. James Duane, of New 
York, became possessed of a large area within the 
limits of the town and engaged with twenty German 
families to emigrate from Pennsylvania and settle 
on his domain. Owing to the establishment of an 
unpopular system of quit-rents, settlements were for 
a number of years greatly retarded. The present 
township was formed from parts of Schoharie and 
Albany Counties, and was first recognized as a 
township in the year I 788, March 22. Population, 
in 1880, 2,995. 

Besides being the most westerly, Duanesburgh is 
the largest town in Schenectady County. Its shape 
is that of an irregular triangle. A line drawn from 
its north-east to its south-west corner would show 

39 



its greatest extent and would be about 14 miles in 
length. Duanesburgh is bounded on the north by 
Montgomery County and Princetown, on the east 
by Princetown, on the south by Albany and 
Schoharie Counties, on the west by Schoharie and 
Montgomery Counties. The surface is broken and 
hilly. The highest land is found in the north-eastern 
part, whence the surface slopes in every direction. 
The soil is mostly clay and gravel, underlaid with 
slate and bluestone, and is generally fertile. 

The Schoharie Creek borders the town for a long 
distance on its western boundary. The banks of 
the creek are high and precipitous. Many of the 
finest farms in Duanesburgh are on the slope leading 
to this stream. The Norman's Kill rises in the 
southern part of the town, flows in an easterly direc- 
tion, and is an important mill-stream. Featherstone- 
haugh Lake, in the eastern part, is a beautiful sheet 
of pure spring water, covering an area of about 75 
acres. Two miles north of this lake is a large body 
of water known as Maria Pond. This was formed 
by damming back the waters of the outlet of the 
lake, and it is an excellent reservoir for the mills on 
the Chuctanunda Creek, which has its source in this 
pond. 

Delanson, in the southern part of the town, is 
the largest and most important village. Duanes- 
burgh, in the south, is a village of about 70 in- 

40 



habitants and is a station on the Schenectady branch 
of the Delaware & Hudson railroad. On the 
Western Turnpike, about 2 miles north-west of this 
village, is a plat of 1 acres, originally set apart by 
Judge Duane for a town center. At present it is 
known by the name of Duanesburgh Churches, and 
contains an Episcopal and a Presbyterian church 
and a few houses. Mariaville, in the north-eastern 
part of the town, on ^aria Pond and at the source 
of the Chuctanunda Creek, has a beautiful location 
and contains a grist-mill and several other mills. It 
has about 1 00 inhabitants. Braman's Corners and 
Easton's Corners are hamlets in the north-western 
part of the town. The former has a population of 
about 80. 



41 



CHAPTER Vlll. 
Education. 

THE early inhabitants of Schenectady, true to 
their inherited character, founded and main- 
tained with zealous care the institutions of religion 
and of education. In 1 784, Dirck Romeyn became 
pastor of the First Reformed Dutch Church at 
Schenectady. Under his leadership in that year a 
meeting of the citizens was called, to take measures 
to found an academy. The academy building was 
soon after erected, on the north-west corner of 
Union and Ferry streets. The institution prospered 
for years; but its founders contemplated greater 
things, and largely through the influence of Domine 
Romeyn and General Philip Schuyler, a charter was 
obtained by which in 1 795 Union College was 
founded. With great liberality the academy build- 
ing amd endowments were then given to the trustees 
of Union College, the building to be sold and the 
proceeds used to procure a more convenient build- 
ing. Such building was erected on the north-east 
corner of Union and College streets, its original cost 

42 



(including that of the site) being $60,000. In 
1815, it was sold to the city and county, the college 
receiving in payment 3,000 acres of land, located 
in different parts of Schenectady County. In 1831, 
it was re-purchased by the college for $10,000, and 
in 1854 it was re-sold to the city for $6,000. It is 
now known as the "Union School'* building. At an 
early period it became evident that the growth of 
the college would require more spacious accom- 
modations, and a tract of about 250 acres was 
secured on what is now known as College Hill. 
New buildings were begun there in 1812, and on 
that site the present college buildings are located. 

Union College was incorporated by the Regents 
of the University of the State of New York February 
25, 1 795. It was the second college incorporated 
in the state, and the first north of the city of New 
York, and west of the Hudson River. It received 
its name from the circumstance that several religious 
denominations co-operated in its organization, and 
was the first college in the United States which was 
not of a strictly denominational character. 

The first president of Union College was the Rev. 
John Blair Smith, who was elected in 1 795, and 
resigned in 1 799, only a few months before his 
death. He was succeeded by Jonathan Edwards, 
the younger, who died in 1 80 1 . The Rev. Jonathan 
Maxey, previously president of Brown University. 

43 



succeeded Doctor Edwards, and resigned at the end 
of two years. In 1 804 the Rev. Eliphalet Nott was 
elected president of Union College, which office he 
held until his death, on the 29th day of January, 
1 866. The Rev. Laurens P. Hickok, a graduate of 
the college, who had long acted as vice-president, 
was elected his successor. He resigned in 1 868. 
The Rev. Charles A. Aiken succeeded Doctor 
Hickok in 1869, and resigned in 1871. The Rev. 
Eliphalet Nott Potter was elected president in 1871, 
and inaugurated June 20, 1872. Dr. Charles Alex- 
ander Richmond is now president. 

Union College acquired by its charter, granted in 
1 795, full university powers, but the creation of 
post-graduate institutions at Schenectady was not 
found practicable. Schools of law and medicine, 
and also an astronomical observatory, have long 
existed at Albany, only a few miles distant. 

The arrangement naturally suggested by these 
circumstances was, that the professional schools and 
the observatory at Albany should be united with 
Union College, under the charter and board of trus- 
tees of the latter. This was accordingly effected by 
the incorporation of Union University in 1873. 
The Albany College of Pharmacy was created by 
the Board of Regents, June 21, 1881, and incor- 
porated as a department of the university August 2 I 
of the same year. 



An important era in the educational history of 
Schenectady began in 1816, with the introduction 
of what was called the "Lancaster School System," 
of which some of the leading features were that 
instruction was given from cards suspended on the 
walls, a whole class learning at one time from the 
same card, and that monitors from the higher 
classes were engaged during part of their time in 
the work of instructing the lower classes. This 
method continued mainly in use till 1854. In that 
year the present free school system went into 
operation, the board of education being organized 
with two commissioners from each of the four wards 
of the city. The west college building (now known 
as the Main Union School building, on the corner 
of College and Union streets) having been pur- 
chased in January, 1855, rooms were prepared to 
accommodate about 450 pupils, and five teachers 
were appointed. The school was formally opened 
October 13, 1855, but the number of pupils far ex- 
ceeded expectation, and the school was closed for 
three weeks, in order to provide more room. In 
April, 1856, there were a superintendent and 18 
teachers in the employ of the board. 

In 1872 the classical department of the Union 
School was removed to the Delavan building, on the 
corner of Church and Union streets, now the 
Mohawk Club. 

45 



The present school system has a splendid high 
school building — the successor to the old U. C. I., 
located on Nott Terrace as well as 22 splendid graded 
schools, with 348 teachers and 1 2,240 pupils. 





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